


To Hear You Sing

by ShaeraHaek



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bodyguard!AU, Bodyguard!Thorin, Gandalf is a meddling shit, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, i guess, more characters later - Freeform, murders, sassy!bilbo, singer!Bilbo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2014-05-01
Packaged: 2018-01-19 21:52:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1485379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShaeraHaek/pseuds/ShaeraHaek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every rising star needs a proper protection. Especially at times like these...<br/>HIATUS</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Don´t Need You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well... the long awaited Bodybuard!AU  
> An idea that was stuck in my mind for far too long has come to life. I´m gonna see how many of you find this interesing and based on that I will continue to write this (since I´m still working on "By Your Hand")
> 
> I love modern AUs! But sometimes I´m too lazy to google shit, so if you find any mistakes please don´t hesitate to correct me. 
> 
> *Thank you, Szabi, for suffering my temper tantrums and these fics*  
> **Recommended song: I Don´t Need You by Ed Sheeran**

  


„Since when have you become so stubborn? And unreasonable?“ Gandalf asked, impatiently tapping his foot. “Clearly you don´t understand the situation you´re in.”  


“Clearly, you don´t understand how ridiculous you are being.” Bilbo shot back as he clicked through the channels, unable to find anything to watch, although he was pretty sure it was because of Gandalf´s constant nagging.

“Me? I am ridiculous? Bilbo, you clearly underestimate people. Not all your fans are peaceful and caring. Some are obsessive and dangerous. Have you forgotten the gentleman who kept stalking you for the past month? You need proper protection yet you refuse to listen to me.”

“We dealt with that one! And I didn´t need a bulky Man in Black to follow me wherever I go. Only few calls to the police were enough to solve it! Why are you so paranoid?” Bilbo yelled back in irritation. He was really getting fed up with this conversation.

“I am just trying to ensure your safety, and you are successfully ruining all my efforts! You have a major concert in two weeks, and you are being very careless about the security matters.” Gandalf argued, quickly running out of patience. “As your friend, agent and producer, I recommend you to hire a bodyguard. At least one. I know a guy, he is a nice chap,” he continued, throwing a thick envelope on the table, “read it, and think about it!” He finished, spinning on his heel and storming out of the room.

Bilbo waited until he heard the front door slam close before he got up and ran to the window. He watched Gandalf as he climbed into his black BMW and rode away. Only when Bilbo lost the sight of the car, he relaxed.

A bodyguard.

Never in his life has he imagined a day when he would need one. He went into the kitchen and stared into the cabinet with his numerous blends of teas, his mind busy replaying the previous, rather heated, conversation.

It is true that a guy kept stalking him, sending him various presents, bouquets of flowers and creepy letters but the police managed to track the man and made sure he stopped whatever he was doing.

The occasional obsessed fan did not bother him. It was not as if there were heaps of fangirls waiting outside his building. There were days like those, from time to time, but it was nothing alarming. Giving a few signatures and taking a few pictures with them was nothing he couldn´t handle.

He couldn´t really say he lived in one place, too. Not since he became a young raising star in the music industry. During the last three years he moved from one city to another with Gandalf, performing in various places and for various audiences. That was until he was noticed by some influential people and then it was only singing, recording, interviews and signing contracts.

He loved singing and waiting for the concert season to start was a torture.

He was currently ´enjoying´ the two weeks of calm-before-a storm as Gandalf liked to call it, staying in the house his parents left him after they died. It was a boring period, full of watching TV and writing lyrics. He wrote a few letters to his relatives – partly because they insisted on receiving letters (according to the ridiculous tradition held in the family) and partly because he wanted to keep them away. They were… tolerable, but after a few minutes of normal conversation they usually started to nag him about not having a girlfriend, not settling down or insisting on “quitting this ridiculous avocation of his” and finding a proper job. If they knew how much he made from selling one album they would be green with jealousy.

He didn´t really know what to do with his free time. He lived alone, his only company being the little bonsai tree that seemed like it could not decide whether it wanted to wither or grow.  

Bilbo wandered around the house for a good while, pointedly avoiding the envelope with the file on the bodyguard guy. Finally, after going through each room for about five times, he stopped in the living room, tore the envelope into an unnecessary number of pieces and glared at the file.

Lying down on the coffee-brown couch, he began to list through it.

Thorin Durin. Served in Afghanistan for ten years. 

There was a photo of the man, clipped right on the front page. He had short black hair, sharp nose, faint stubble, and a really impressive frown on his face.

Aged 39, single, disciplined, loyal, hardworking, bla, bla, bla…

Really, why would he need a bodyguard? Ridiculous! Bilbo scoffed as he reached for the pen lying on the table and just as he was about to… improve the guy´s face, he overheard a news report on the television.

_“…say a body was found in the Priskilly Forest near Letterston, it was confirmed that the body belonged to the top model Christina Bennett who went missing three months ago. The authorities confirmed that…”_

Bilbo turned the TV off, no longer playing attention, and looked at the picture of the man – Thomas, or whatever. Smirking at the caricature he made, he folded the picture into a plane and sent it flying across the room.

A bodyguard, his ass! Gandalf could go hire one for himself if he wanted. It´s not like someone´s gonna murder him…

* * *

  


“I have found a job for you.” Gandalf announced casually, thanking the waitress for the tea.

Thorin raised his eyebrows. “Really?” He asked, visibly unimpressed.

“And I assure you it is not museum security.” The old man smiled and Thorin did not miss the twinkle in his eyes. “A good paid job, although you’ll probably work 24/7. I need you as a bodyguard.”

“A bodyguard?” Thorin huffed, shaking his head. “Who am I supposed to guard?”

“This one.” Gandalf said, looking very smugly as he handed him a CD case. He watched the ex-soldier´s eyebrows rise even higher.

“What is this?” Thorin asked with a short laugh, gesturing at the cover.

“That, my dear friend, is Bilbo Baggins, the rising star of the music industry. I am sure you´ve heard of him.” The old man smiled sweetly, tilting his head and steepling his hands.

“You can´t be serious.”

Gandalf gave him his best I-have-absolutely-no-idea-what-you-are-talking-about look, leaning back in his seat.  “What seems to be the problem?”

“I am not going to play a babysitter,” he said, putting the CD on the table, “what is he like, fifteen? I refuse to be a nanny for a teenager just because I owe you.”

“Actually, he´s 25.” Gandalf murmured, genuinely surprising the other man who picked the cover up again and squinted at it in disbelief. “I guarantee you that he is a really pleasant and mannered lad. Only a little stubborn at times, but I believe you can deal with that.” He noted, putting down an empty cup.

“Think about it. As I already said, it is a well-paid job.” Gandalf added, sliding a cheque across the table.

Thorin knew the manipulating tone very well. He wouldn´t say he didn´t trust the man. He just knew that he had many fingers in many pies and liked to meddle with other people´s businesses. Although, he had to admit that the sum written on the piece of paper was very alluring.

Gandalf left at a leisurely pace, happily waving at him as he climbed into his car.

He left Thorin keep the CD and the cheque, telling him to find a while and listen to Bilbo´s music.

Although the offer was really enticing, he was not sure he felt like professionally taking up the gun again.  He couldn´t say he did not enjoy the peaceful life but he did not miss the danger either – he had quite enough of it in Afghanistan.

When he got home, he put the CD in the player, listening to the songs as he made his dinner.

He had to admit that the kid had quite some talent. Of course, he would definitely not admit it out loud. He himself was a big fan of music but he was more into the older stuff. Nevertheless, he let the songs play on repeat the whole evening.

* * *

  


He met Gandalf a week later.

“So, have you made up your mind?” The old man asked, shaking his hand.

“I´ll take the job.” Thorin said, yet when Gandalf graced him with a victorious smile, he immediately interrupted him. “Although, I have not even talked to the guy. You haven´t given me his number.” He said, raising his eyebrow as the old man cleared his throat. “Does he even know I´m being hired?”

“Of course, of course.” Gandalf laughed, patting his shoulder, “come, you need to sign a few papers first.”

Thorin sighed, following the man, somehow knowing that there is indeed going to be a big catch to the whole thing.  He only hoped he was not signing a deal with the devil.

Thorin sat though an hour of monologue about rules, his client´s routines and his duties. Gandalf gave him a list of people Bilbo was working with, contacts of his agents, companies he was going to work with, as well as information on other security guards that he planned on hiring for the next concert, and tons of other information Thorin was not looking forward to read.

After that, Gandalf led him to his car and drove him to his client ´s house.

And as they were driving, Gandalf finally decided it was time he knew about the “tiny details” he withheld for “his own good.”

Like the fact that his client is _not quite aware that they were on their way to his place._

“You are kidding me, right?”

“It is nothing we can´t handle, dear fellow.” Gandalf assured him merrily, “leave the talking to me.”

* * *

  


They stopped in front of a small house at the end of the town around five o´clock. Thorin was about to climb out of the car when Gandalf stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“There is something else you should know.” He admitted, albeit hesitantly. “He was not really fond of the idea of hiring you.” He said, scratching his beardy chin. “Try being a little bit patient with him.”

Thorin didn´ t even have the power to argue with him, so he let the comment go, cursing under his breath.

“Ah, Bilbo, my dear lad!” Gandalf called as he got out of the car. Thorin noticed the singer storm out of his house with a dishtowel in his hand, which he threw at the older man as soon as he got close enough.

“What´s the meaning of this?!” The youngster cried, looking rather funny with his tousled curly hair, fluffy slippers and a colourful bathrobe flapping behind him. “I´m going to sue you!” He threatened, jabbing a finger at Gandalf´s chest.

“Good luck finding a lawyer that would be willing to stand against me in court, my dear.” The manager laughed, taking the lad by his shoulders and steering him back inside.  Thorin reluctantly followed after them.

“I would like to introduce--” The manager started but the singer cut in almost immediately.

“I know who he is! Why did you hire him?” Bilbo yelled, gesturing at the ex-soldier. “I told you I don´t –“

“Enough of this, Bilbo!” Gandalf said decisively, shutting the young man up in return. “It is all only for your good. He will be staying with you as your personal guard whether you like it or not. I hired him for my money which means he will do as I say. I will hear no more on this matter.” He finished, leaving Bilbo glaring at him as if the man had killed his entire family.

Gandalf shoved a stack of papers into the lad´s hands. "Everything is written here. I have a copy so burning it won´t solve anything. Go make us a cuppa, will you?” He shooed the guy off, taking a seat on the couch, smiling brilliantly as he gestured to Thorin to sit down as well.

The man sat down slowly, craning his neck to peak into the kitchen when he heard a rather loud racket coming from the room.

“Don´t mind his violent tea-making. He does that when he´s sulking. Now, there are still few things we haven´t discussed.”

Thorin shifted in his seat, repressing another exasperated sigh. “Such as?”

“Such as where are you going to sleep. You are obviously staying here but which room—“

“What?!” Thorin and Bilbo asked (yelled) at once. The latter came running from the kitchen with a spoon in one hand and a bag of tea leaves in the other.

“What do you mean by ´he´s obviously staying here´?!”

“Hold on a minute,” Thorin intervened, “I am pretty sure that was not in the contract.”

Gandalf only smiled his sickly sweet smile and miraculously pulled the piece paper that stated this point from his suitcase, pushing it into the bodyguard´s hands and saying: “you are welcome.”

“Now Bilbo, my lad—“

“Don´t ´Bilbo-my-lad´ me, old man! This is my house! You can´t just…invite people over and accommodate them here!”

“As your legal guardian—“

“I´m 25!”

“Could have fooled me…” Thorin mumbled, sharing a mischievous look with the manager because it really seemed as if the boy stopped aging after 15 or so. “But anyway, I need to pack my things first.”

“Oh, I took care of that already!” Gandalf chirped as he stood up and walked out, leaving the two younger men stare after him in confusion. When he came back, he had a bag in his hand and an even bigger grin on his face. “Here are your things. Take care of my precious star, have a cuppa, I´ll see myself out.” He called after them before he walked out again and rode off.

“So,” Thorin began awkwardly, entering the kitchen where Bilbo was just finishing the tea, “where am I going to sleep?”

“The floor is all yours!” Bilbo shot back, slamming a cup on the table, “enjoy your tea, don´t make yourself at home!” And then he just ran off up the stairs.

Thorin sighed again. It was going to be a very long evening. 

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo´s album cover: http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/107/9/3/album_cover_by_shaerahaek-d7etl15.jpg
> 
> Well, it would be lovely if you left some comments... Let me know if it´s worth writing!


	2. Not Bad After All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeeez, I´m so lazy... But the next chapter is here! Yay, right? 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!
> 
>  
> 
> *Thank you goes to Szabi, who corrected all the mistakes in incredibly short time*

Bilbo woke up hoping that the man – his _bodyguard –_ gave up last night and left his house. Stretching on the bed, and screeching as loud as he could as he used to, Bilbo got up, put on his patchwork bathrobe and quietly climbed down the stairs. He grew more and more happy as he went through all the free rooms, peaking his head around the corner and finding them empty. He didn´t even try to fight back the victorious and satisfactory grin that gradually appeared on his face as he strolled to the kitchen.

The grin, however, froze on his face and fell off when he arrived into his living room. Bilbo mutely stared at the man who was currently fast asleep on _his_ beloved couch, covered with _his_ blanket and and lying on _his_ pillows.  Throwing his hands in the air and screaming inaudibly, he spun around and stomped off into the kitchen.

He needed proper breakfast to deal with this predicament.

* * *

 

There were trees all around. He stood waist deep in a lake, gripping a fishing rod in his hands and patiently waiting for a fish to bite the hook. All he heard was the chirping of birds, splashing of water and happy childlike laughter. Smiling to himself, he reeled the nylon line back to try again.

“Thorin!” He heard him call from behind. The ex-soldier turned his head to look behind. He was standing on the bank, waving at him. “Thorin come out of the water already!”

“Coming!” Thorin called back, and as he slowly moved backwards he heard someone sing.  

“… _what I´m thinking of_

_You wouldn´t get this from any other guy!”_

He tried to ignore it but he found out it was impossible. Not even covering his hears helped.

“ _I just wanna tell you how I´m feeling_

_Gotta make you understand!”_

The voice was getting louder and more obnoxious. He could hear it loud and clear and he was sure he never heard anything more insufferable.

“ _Never gonna give you up!_

_Never gonna let you down!_

_Never gonna run around and desert you!”_

“For the love of GOD!” Thorin moaned, covering his head with the blanket when he awoke from the dream. “Would you stop it?!”

“Get your ass off my couch, old man! The breakfast is on the table!” Bilbo yelled, tugging on the blanket as he kept singing.

Thorin groaned, massaging his ears. “I was told you are a singer and I find myself doubting that statement. Your singing is horrible!”

Bilbo didn´t even spare him a second look. He returned to the kitchen, his robe dramatically sweeping behind him.

Putting on a shirt and a pair of sweatpants, Thorin moved to the kitchen only to be pleasantly surprised. There was cooked bacon, boiled eggs, baked sausages and crispy toasts already sitting on the table while his host stood in front of the counter and prepared some kind of salad.  

The breakfast was an extremely awkward affair as they both sat in silence, each staring in the opposite direction. The only conversation they had was when they muttered silent apologies as they both reached for the same toast.

Although unwillingly, Thorin had to admit that the kid had some skills at cooking. And the coffee was possibly the best one he ever tasted.

Bilbo was the first to break the uncomfortable silence when he was in the middle of sipping his mint tea.

“So, how much did he pay you?” He asked, looking at the older man from behind his cup.

Thorin repressed the urge to smile. “Enough to take the job.” He said, thinking about the one time Gandalf warned him that the lad might want to get rid of him.

Bilbo was quiet after that, frowning into his cup. “You know, I could pay you more…”

“No,” Thorin smirked, shaking his head and standing up.

“I´m not getting rid of you, am I?” Bilbo mumbled begrudgingly, biting his thumb.

Thorin cocked his eyebrow at him and went to change his clothes.

* * *

 

He was lost at what to do. The brat has stomped off God knows where – Thorin tried to find him but the house was a literal labyrinth and he may or may not have gotten lost twice, and he hasn´t spoken to him ever since.

He made himself comfortable in the living room, which he guessed would be the only place where he´ll be staying since his immature host decided to ignore him until further notice. Thorin spent the next hour gazing out of the window, writing down strategic points, marking them on the map, reading the files Gandalf gave him, going through the schedules for next week while listening to the non-stop news on the TV.

He was finishing the second bunch of files when the news announced another murder.

Thorin quickly grabbed the remote and turned the volume up.

“ _...young pianist Eugene Riley, went missing last month. His body was found this morning in Chasewater reservoir near Burntwood.”_  The reporter said, and Thorin jumped slightly when he noticed Bilbo standing in the hallway now properly dressed but still with his bathrobe on. He stared at the screen, biting his lip but otherwise looking impassively.

“… _with his hands cut off. The authorities have not yet confirmed any suspects but they say this murder might be connected with the previous three that happened over the past five months.”_

The singer soon lost all interest in the news and walked into the kitchen. Thorin supposed he started cooking, going by the clacking of pots and the nice smell of roasted onions. Thorin was quite impressed. It was not every day that he met a young man who could cook and did not live off noodles and instant soups.

The bodyguard slumped in his seat, throwing the remaining files on the table and rubbing his eyes as he listened to the next report. He then heard his phone ring, so he muted the TV and dug the device out of the pocket of his jeans.

It was Gandalf. Cheerful as always, he asked how they were faring, and if they had spoken yet. Thorin told him about his living conditions and their awkward breakfast, which made the old man laugh.

“Don´t worry.” The manager said, “he´ll give you a room soon. He gets very uneasy when he has to play an arrogant brat for too long. And he made you breakfast! That is a good sign.” He chuckled. “But I´m calling you for a different reason.”

“I´m listening?”

“Bilbo has a photo-shoot tomorrow. I´m going to pick you up but I won´t mind if you drive.”

Of course he would have to drive. “When is that?”

“Be ready at nine and don´t forget to suit up.”

“Alright?” Thorin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “do I need to take any precautions?”

“Not yet, no. Next week´s going to be different, of course. I already sent you the complete Friday schedule but we´ll talk about it later.”

He was about to hang up when he heard Gandalf´s thoughtful hum. “Anything else?”

“I was just thinking… aren´t you interested in modelling—“ Never in his life has he cancelled a call faster. 

“Was it Gandalf?” Bilbo asked, from the kitchen and Thorin felt a slight tingle of hope that they might hold a normal conversation today after all. He leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Yes, it was.”

“Did he tell you about the photo-shoot?” The singer asked, stealing at quick glance at the other man as he stirred the soup.

“He did, yes. Do you need some help with that?” Thorin asked, pointing at the stove.

Bilbo sighed, putting a lid on the pot with the soup and wiped his hands on the apron. “Actually,” he huffed and opened the nearest drawer. Taking out the cutlery and shoving it into Thorin´s hand he jerked his head to the table. “Just set the table.”

Thorin nodded and did as his host told him, breathing in the delicious smell of all the foods that they were about to eat.

The lunch was much less awkward than the breakfast but no less delicious. Thorin almost didn´t contain a satisfied moan when he tasted the crispy lemon and herb chicken, which he properly praised after he finished the second portion which made the other man flush. They finished the lunch with a bowl of chocolate ice cream which Bilbo gingerly placed in front of him without making eye contact.

“I think we should talk.” Thorin started when he carefully placed the empty bowl on the table and leaned back in his seat.

Bilbo nodded and bit his spoon, waiting for the other man to start.

“I believe you understand why I´m here as well as you know that as long as Gandalf pays me I won´t be leaving. I know you probably hate my existence right now, but for the sake of us both I need to make sure you´ll cooperate with me in case things get bad.” He paused, waiting for the singer´s reaction but the lad only stared at the table.

Thorin sighed and continued. “What I mean to say is that if something happens I need you to stay calm and find me. No running away, no screaming, no climbing into unknown cars. I will always be in your vicinity, which also means I might invade your personal space from time to time in sake of your protection.”

A long pause followed where Bilbo pursed his lips and tapped the spoon against his chin. “Okay,” he said finally, standing up. “I understand and I assure you I am going to do my best and not complicate things for you.”

Thorin´s gut made a nasty flip because he knew exactly what would follow.

“However,” Bilbo remarked with a badly suppressed grin, “since I know you won´t be really needed anytime soon and it would be a shame to just leave you loiter around, I propose we make a deal.”

The bodyguard mentally sighed and shifted on the chair. “I´m all ears.”

“I will let you be my shadow whenever we go out and guard me since you are paid for that, in return for you driving me anywhere I want and any time I want without any complaint, plus you do the dishes.”

“I´m sorry?”

“You know, since I´m gonna feed you it would be lovely not to dump all the work on me. So the dishes are yours.” He said, grabbing both their empty bowls and thrusting them into his hands, barely controlling his smirk. “Have fun!” He smiled sweetly and walked off, leaving the gawking bodyguard behind.

* * *

 

Even though they kind of made truce, Thorin still didn´t get to sleep in a proper bed. The couch was nice, though, so he didn´t complain.

The morning was quite uneventful – they ate in silence, Bilbo made him coffee while he himself drank some green tea and when the singer went upstairs again, Thorin went to dress himself.

He wrestled with his tie for what felt like an half an hour before he successfully tied it. Bilbo came down in sweatpants and a loose white shirt, talking to someone on the phone, and Thorin had to bite his tongue to comment on his choice of clothing. He though that the lad was scheduled for a photo shoot, but then again, Thorin had no idea what else people did on a professional photo-shoot besides taking photos.  He adjusted the holster on his shoulders before he discreetly slipped his gun in.

Gandalf arrived five minutes before nine in a shiny black SUV and as soon as the bodyguard stepped out of the hose, he threw the car keys at him and made himself comfortable in the back.

Following the instructions of the built-in GPS, he arrived at their destination in less than an hour. He let his two passengers get out in front of the main entrance and went to park the car in the underground garage. Thorin took the elevator to the fifteenth floor, spending the ride looking at himself in the mirror, trying to tame the few unruly curls on the back of his head.

When the bell sounded and the door opened he found himself standing in a long hall with red carpet and empty walls. He heard a voice from his right, noticing Gandalf waving at him, gesturing to come over.

“Thanks,” Thorin muttered, opening the double-winged door to the room.

The old man chuckled, patting him on his shoulder with his fedora. He knew very well about Thorin´s capability of getting lost, but refrained from teasing the bodyguard on his first day.

Thorin was quite amazed when he entered the spacious room. There was a low podium with a chair surrounded by umbrellas, diaphragms and other instruments Thorin couldn´t name. There was a giant mirror and a hairdresser´s wash basin on the left; a sofa set, hanger holders filled with clothes and painted panel screens in the right corner.

People were busting around, preparing the cameras, adjusting the lights, bringing in more clothes, boxes and whatnot.

Thorin scanned the room to find Bilbo, and found him greeting a group of people on the other side of the room. Seeing that the bodyguard was clearly lost at what to do, Gandalf gently urged him toward the group with a pleased smile on his lips.

The next fifteen minutes were filled with polite smiles, shaking hands, hello-nice-to-meet-you´s and introducing. Thorin expertly managed to back off from the group when the female half started to flood him with compliments and not very subtle flirtations. From the corner of his eye, he caught Bilbo´s grinning face – who was no doubt laughing at his awkward way of dealing with people, although the singer quickly turned away when he noticed Thorin staring.

The ex-soldier made himself comfortable on the sofa and watched the people buzz around the singer.

“Hi!” A man greeted him and sat next to him on the couch. Thorin returned the greeting, examining the multiple earrings in the man´s ear and the row of piercings in his left eyebrow in silence. Just where has he seen the guy…?

“You must be the bodyguard Gandalf talked about.” The man said casually, resting his elbows on his knees. “I´m Nori,” the man said, scratching his Van Dyke-like beard. “I´m in the charge of security here. Gray man told me to socialize a bit, said we´d be working soon together.”

Thorin was lost in his thoughts for a while before it clicked. “Oh right,” he said, remembering the list of people Gandalf planned on hiring. “Bilbo´s concert.”

“Yeah, it´s a little bit boring to spend all the time in the office, so I volunteered.” Nori leaned back in his seat and sighed, adjusting the band that held his hair in a short ponytail on the nape of is neck. “I would have brought beer, but I´m forbidden to drink in work.” He joked, making Thorin grin.  

Nori kept him company for a good while. They talked about the news reports and the multiple unsolved murders, their jobs, as well as Bilbo´s upcoming concert. When they got to the topic of guns, another man – Dori, the hairdresser who fussed over Bilbo for two previous hours, making sure his head was full of perfect curls for the photos – sat next to them with an exhausted sigh.

“Why the long face, brother?” Nori asked, crossing his legs under the low table.

“Those God damned interviewers again. So annoying.” Dori complained while viciously glaring at the small group of women crowded around Bilbo. “They are like vultures – won´t give the lad a chance to breathe.”

Thorin immediately tensed, instinctively searching for his client. He would have jumped out of his seat to shoo the interviewers away if Nori hadn´t grabbed his shoulder to keep him in place.

“Oh, look at you. So protective.” The guard teased, retracting his hand when he received an angered stare in return. “Peace,” Nori grinned, jerking his head towards the door. “Gandalf´s already on his way to take care of it.”

The bodyguard huffed and relaxed somewhat but did not let his eyes off the singer.

Dori laughed suddenly, shaking his head. “Oh right. You are the bodyguard Gandalf hired.”

Thorin nodded shortly, raising his eyebrow in question.

“Bilbo complained about you… a lot. And Gandalf, too.”

“What did he say?” Thorin asked, a little bit worried.

“Oh, he said a lot of things. I have never seen him so upset!” The hairdresser laughed, patting the bodyguard´s shoulder. “Did he already try to get you out?”

“He only assigned me to the dish washing so far.”

“Well, that´s his way of being rude, if you must know. Next level will be coffee without sugar.”

“Bilbo was always very skilled at offending people.” Nori piped in, which made all three of them giggle like idiots.

“I see you´re having a lot of fun here,” Gandalf commented, suddenly appearing in front of them. Thorin straightened up quickly trying to wipe the smile off his face. Gandalf waved him off, chuckling on his own. “Here is a little present.” He said, giving Thorin a car key. “I´ll be taking my leave now. The interviewers should not be a big problem but in case they get a little too eager, you have my permission to tell them off.” He said, turning his fedora in his hands.

“Roger that.” The bodyguard said with a firm nod, searching for the group of interviewers with his eyes.

The rest of the day was pretty boring. Thorin watched Bilbo strike poses for the camera and wondered, how can someone not get fed up with the number of clothes changed during one day. Bilbo did not complain once. He obediently changed into whatever he was told to, smiled when the cameraman told him to, answered whichever question the women asked him and still looked as fresh and vital as he did in the morning.

After an hour of just watching the lights from the camera flashing, Thorin already felt a slight headache pulsing in his temples. He left for fifteen minutes to get some coffee, ate some of the food that was wheeled in for the staff and probably read every magazine he found in the room. Nori left after three hours but Dori kept him company whenever he wasn´t fixing Bilbo´s hair.

It was almost nine in the evening when Bilbo shuffled over to the couch on which the bodyguard was sitting and plopped down next to him with an exhausted sigh.

“Everything alright?” Thorin asked, throwing the magazine about new hairstyles on the table.

“Yeah,” Bilbo replied meekly, and Thorin could see he was trying to blink away the tiredness. “I just have to wait for the cameraman to check the photos and we can go.”

Thorin hummed and ran his hand over his hair. He was quite surprised when he heard the lad´s soft snores not even fifteen minutes later. The ex-solder silently glared at the cameraman´s back, mentally cursing and urging him to hurry the fuck up because his ass was already sore from all the sitting, and the short walks around the room didn´t help one bit. The fact that he kept coquetting with one of the ladies who were in charge of Bilbo´s clothes didn´t make Thorin´s mood better.

Sure enough, the guy was finished forty-five minutes later and Thorin was ready to shoot him on the spot.

He gently shook Bilbo´s shoulder to wake him up so they could finally drive back home.

Thorin watched the singe in the rearview mirror form time to time to make sure he was alight.

He parked the car in the garage while Bilbo fumbled with the keys and opened the door. The house was completely silent and quite cold when they returned and Thorin couldn´t help but to think how eerie it seemed. He also wondered how could Bilbo live here on his own all the time.

The singer slowly made his way up the stairs, leaving Thorin in the living room – wondering if he really is alright. He stripped from the suit and as he was pulling his shirt off when he heard Bilbo come down the stairs.

Bilbo heaved a heavy sigh and spoke up. “I´ve prepared a room for you. Come on, I won´t let you sleep on my couch anymore.”

Thorin smirked as he threw the suit on the top of his bag. “Is it really a room or are you going to kick me out through the garage?”

The singer clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. “Don´t be an idiot and hurry or I´m gonna change my mind.” He said but Thorin could see the corners of his mouth curling upwards.

The room was nice – with a large double bed, a table, huge wardrobe and a separate bathroom. That was certainly better than the couch. Bilbo helped him to move his bags and all his things in and after they bid each other good night, Thorin took a long hot shower and literally dived into the bed.  

Living there might not be a pain in the ass, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments would be lovely....  
> Who do you think was the guy from Thorin´s dream? Any speculations?


End file.
